


Conditioned

by Lastavica



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: "I Know You", Angst, Avengers Tower, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Returns, Clint Barton Is a Good Bro, Conversations, Fear, Friendship, Gen, Insecurity, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Natasha Feels, Natasha Needs a Hug, Natasha Romanov-centric, One Shot, Protective Steve Rogers, Recovery, Steve Rogers Feels, Trust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 10:43:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5825476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lastavica/pseuds/Lastavica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Quiet, short, angsty, intimate conversation.<br/>Natasha-centric one shot. After Sam and Steve brought Bucky back at the tower.</p><p>Takes place after my "I Know You" one shots  or can stand alone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conditioned

**Author's Note:**

> A little blip that demanded to be written.

"Cap."

Steve didn't respond. His mind was somewhere else.

"Steve," Clint lightly smacked his shoulder with the back of his hand.

Steve looked up. "Yeah? Sorry."

"What're they doing now?" Clint asked, gesturing toward the scene on the other side of the glass.

"Scanned his brain, again. They're taking look at the damage, asking him questions."

Clint nodded but said nothing. He lingered for a few moments longer, just watching the doctors shuffling around, the nurses and techs adjusting machines. He read Bucky's lips as they mumbled responses to questions asked. He glanced at Steve again. The guy hadn't taken his eyes off his friend on the other side of the window. Wordlessly, he left Steve just as he had found him and headed back downstairs.

Steve watched Bucky through that glass for a long time. His eyes, his expression, all at once blank and confused, made him feel sick in his stomach. Bucky was so lost, and pained but didn't know why. Steve remained standing at the window only for the few times Bucky's gaze drifted over at him. He still didn't really know Steve, but his was a familiar face, and that was enough to keep him from lashing out.

When Bucky was allowed back to his (locked) room, Steve went to find Natasha.

She was seated at the breakfast bar in her and Clint's kitchen. Her cup of tea sat steaming on the counter as she read through something on her device.

"Natasha, can I talk to you?"

"Sure." She said, setting the tablet down.

He cut right to the chase. "Sam and I were talking about it... we thought, I thought maybe you could help with him."

"Your friend?"

Steve paused for a breif second, slightly taken aback by her purposeful word choice. "You know what his name is."

"Winter Soldier."

"Sorry I asked." He made to leave.

"I don't know what you think I can do." She said to the back of his head.

Steve ignored her, but she pressed further.

"The Barnes you knew is long gone. I'm sorry."

He stopped short and turned around. "Were you long gone?"

She had no answer. Steve turned around again and left.

"Ooo, a slam dunk from the Captain." Clint said as he casually strolled into the room. When Nat remained silent he changed his tone. "He's right."

"So what? Barnes has been frozen and thawed, reconditioned and programmed an unknown number of times. You don't recover from that."

"Did I?"

She bawlked at him. "What's with the men and the melodrama today?"

Clint chuckled. "You know what I'm saying."

"I don't think I do. What happened to you, what happened to me even, was not the same as this."

"Doesn't mean you can't add a little insight, Nat. There are similarities."

"You aren't hearing me. It doesn't matter. Steve can't get him back."

"Why not?" He anticipated Natasha's exasperation. "Seriously. Why not? Bruce doubles as a two ton green monster and Steve was on ice for seventy years. Not to mention, Thor's from space and Stark has a hole in his chest. So why is Barnes beyond help?"

Natasha blew out a sigh. "Fine. You want me to talk to him, or whatever Steve's great plan is, then I will. But he's gonna get his heart broken if he's really relying on me. ...On this."

Again her word choice did not go unnoticed.

"He's not going to rely on this," Clint said carefully. "He's asking a friend to add a little insight. If it helps, it helps. If not, then alright."

Clint stepped forward. Her stillness and her silence told him his closeness was welcome.

"But that's all." He said.

Natasha looked down at her hands. "Ok."


End file.
